"For us solidarity means that we protect our (EU) borders", said Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in an interview published in Monday's edition of the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, in which he also stressed that for Hungary the protection of borders is one of its highest priorities.
According to the Minister, the Austrian Chancellor's recent criticism is not entirely clear, since, on the one hand, he warned Hungary that it must register refugees and not allow them through into Austria; on the other hand, he criticised the construction of the fence on the Hungarian-Serbian border. "We must decide what we want: to protect the borders or to let everyone through them”, the Minister said.
He explained that the fence has been built in order to channel migrants toward the legal border crossing-points. The Minister stated that the Government is currently working on establishing three transit zones on the Hungarian-Serbian border where people can submit their asylum applications, which will be evaluated rapidly and individually. “Those who receive refugee status may enter Hungary. Those whose applications are rejected, however, must leave the transit zone in the direction of Serbia", the Minister said.
Mr. Szijjártó explained that the construction of the fence on the Hungarian-Serbian border was necessary to protect the external borders of the EU. He also mentioned that prevention of illegal border crossing is a top priority.
The Minister said that earlier the refugees had been cooperative, but the controversial announcement made by Germany that it would suspend its observance of the Dublin Regulation with respect to Syrian asylum seekers was perceived by the migrants as an invitation, and they had become less cooperative.
"What we are experiencing is a migration crisis, the migration of people in the modern age", the Minister said.
"This year 167,000 illegal immigrants have arrived in Hungary; ninety-nine per cent of them have arrived through Serbia, and approximately 150,000 have submitted asylum applications in Hungary", the Minister said, pointing out that "The problem, however, is that almost all of them left the country before official procedures had even begun". According to his estimate, on average nine per cent of applicants in Hungary have received refugee status.